2011: Jonathan gets US, Western powers’ nod -PDP Govs also
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Written by Taiwo Adisa, Abuja and Jackson Udom

IT has emerged that some powerful Western countries, some top Nigerian politicians, members of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Senators are behind a bid to ensure that Acting President Goodluck Jonathan run for the presidency in 2011. According to sources over the weekend, those behind the plan see it as the surest way of returning power to the North after 2015. It was gathered that the powers behind the fresh plot are of the view that the reality on ground has completely justified the attempts to draft Jonathan into the 2011 race.

Sources said that the declaration by the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Vincent Ogbulafor, that power should remain in the North in 2011 has been subjected to serious scrutiny in view of recent developments.

It was gathered that the declaration remains unacceptable to a number of stakeholders in the party who are of the view that retaining power in the North in 2011 will only prolong the hold of the North on power, adding that whereas power was supposed to remain in each zone for eight years, retaining power in the North beyond 2011 now will only mean that the zone will remain in office till 2019.

It was gathered that Western powers have also expressed their confidence in Jonathan as far back as December 2009. Sources said that as soon as it became clear to the United States and some Western countries that ailing President Umaru Yar’Adua may not fully recover to take power, the countries made representation to Jonathan and other stakeholders in Nigeria to take over power.

Shortly afterwards, it was gathered that the United States especially started developing the feeling that Jonathan could be the best way to guarantee power equality and extinguish the restiveness in the Niger Delta.

Sources said that the decision by the United States authorities to invite Jonathan as part of the just concluded Nuclear Summit was another avenue to assess the Nigerian Acting President.

It was gathered that Western countries have found Jonathan a good customer who can rebuild Nigeria within the shortest possible time. Sources confirmed that while Jonathan would have to weigh his chances within the shortest time, the West and his other supporters have made up their minds on him.

A source in the PDP said that Jonathan appears to have no other choice than to contest the 2011 election. The source said that his choice is the only logical thing for now adding that the alternative will prolong power in the North and short-change other parts of the country.

“If we agree that Yar’Adua has spent close to three years, that is part of the tenure of the North West. If we bring in another northerner, what will stop that person from contesting for two terms of office as stated by the constitution? The best thing we can do is to ensure that Jonathan contests in 2011 such that by 2015 he will hand over to the North.

If he is sworn in this year as substantive President, he can only contest election in 2011 and he will not be eligible to contest again. That would easily return power to the North in 2015,” the source said.

It was also gathered that members of the Governors’ Forum are also thinking along this line as many of them after already thinking of how to tackle the challenge of the former military President Ibrahim Babangida and others.

“I assure you that we will tackle IBB when the time comes. His liabilities are pronounced,” the source said.

Meanwhile, support base for Acting President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2011 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has continued to swell, with indications that governors on the platform of the party are now rooting for his candidacy.

Sunday Tribune reliably gathered from a competent source in the Governor’s Forum that “media reports that some of us are lining behind former military President Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida for the 2011 presidential election is far from the truth.”

According to the source, who spoke exclusively with Sunday Tribune, but declined to say that he was speaking the minds of his colleagues in the PDP “we are totally in support of the acting president running in 2011 because that is the surest way to ensure stability in the polity.”

When reminded of the fact that the PDP arrangement favoured the presidency being retained in the North for eight years, the outspoken governor from the Southern part of Nigeria said, “are you telling me that zoning arrangement supersedes the nation’s constitution or the peace and continued existence of this country?

“The current political reality and necessity outweighs whatever zoning arrangement the PDP had. We are talking about moving the country forward and you are talking about zoning arrangement.”

He stated further that “the only way to guarantee the unity of this country is to allow the acting president to continue till 2015 after which he would be asked to leave for the North to have their fresh eight years term.”

“Don’t forget that the South South people have been clamouring for the presidency for God knows when now. This is an opportunity for them to achieve that desire. If we deny them that opportunity now that they have already tasted power albeit in acting capacity, we would be toying with the peace and unity of this country,” he noted.

He disclosed further that “if we want a lasting peace in the Niger Delta this is the right time to do that, and we can only demonstrate that by allowing the acting president to continue till 2015, if not, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger-Delta (MEND) and other militant groups will plunge this country into an unimaginable crisis that would be difficult to manage.

Meanwhile, there are strong indications that the days of Prince Vincent Ogbulafor as the National Chairman of the PDP are numbered, as some governors and major stakeholders in the party have concluded plans to edge him out of office at the next NEC meeting of the party.

Impeccable sources in the party, told SundayTribune that, “Ogbulafor became the chairman of our party through the support of the governors. He was not in the picture at all. We made him to understand that he was in that office with the support of the governors and would be shown the way out any moment he was seen to be working against the interest of any of the governors.”

It was also gathered that, opposition against the continued stay of Prince Ogbulafor is increasing everyday among the governors and they have also come to the conclusion that he must be removed as soon as possible.

Sources told Sunday Tribune that “he is now running from pillar to pole to save his job, but I can assure you that the game is up and he must go. His frequent visits to Aso Rock to solicit the support of the acting president cannot save him. He now visits Aso Rock on the pretext that he was consulting and briefing the acting president on happenings in the party as an attempt to curry the favour of the acting president, which is now a tall dream.”
http://tribune.com.ng/sun/index.php/front-page-articles/863-2011-jonathan-gets-us-western-powers-nod-pdp-govs-also.html

I knew it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

I said that if jonathan becomes presido in 2011 power will return bck to the north in 2015. and its wiser for the north to make Jonathan presido in 2011. In 2015 the north will have 8 FULL YEARS! which cuts the SS term in zoning.

you cant have your cake and eat it to.

The North will not have a chance to rule the south!!! If everything goes as planned, Goodluck Jonathan is going to oversee the break up of this country.

This is just beautiful. The U.S. understands that it will take a Niger Deltan to rule this nation, plus he is a Christian and not one of those Muslim fundamentalist.

Sources said that the decision by the United States authorities to invite Jonathan as part of the just concluded Nuclear Summit was another avenue to assess the Nigerian Acting President.

All these our bush reporters sef! Some still think we are in the stone age!
Isn't it easy enough to simply pick up the phone and speak to the man? Can't their ambassador give reports on one on one impressions?

Beaf:

All these our bush reporters sef! Some still think we are in the stone age!
Isn't it easy enough to simply pick up the phone and speak to the man? Can't their ambassador give reports on one on one impressions?

I wonder o

Some of these articles are irritating to say the least, especially those political articles from Sun newspaper.

They give an impression of people who just sat beside their girlfriends and cook up a story to sell.

I have learnt to ignore those foolish reports.